Automatic liquid dispensing mechanism

ABSTRACT

An automatic liquid dispensing mechanism includes a planet device and a transmitting hose. The planet device is a plate with a number of rollers provided on a surface thereof such that the rollers can rotate on the surface of the plate. The hose in the form of an arc is engaged in-between the inner rim of the hosing and the outer surface of the rollers. The axis of a driving motor passes through the plate and a side of the housing, and then contacts with the surface of the rollers, thereby the rotation of the axis of the driving motor drives the rollers and the plate to rotate. And then the rollers push the liquid stored in the hose and make it transmitted from the storage tank to the user&#39;s end.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed is a liquid dispensing mechanism, wherein the rollers providedon a planet device push the liquid stored in a transmitting hose,thereby transmitting the liquid from the supplying end to the user's endsuch that the invention is adapted to automatic liquid dispensers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For example, generally, a liquid soap dispenser for dispensingcleanser/hand cleanser installed in bathrooms or washing rooms ismechanically operated by hand or presents as an electronic sensing type.As the former would dispense a predetermined amount of liquid at eachpress, the user must further press the button to require more liquid;whereas the later can use an electric-eye sensor to control the liquiddispensed though, the liquid dispensing mechanism should rely on thetraditional mechanical structure. A liquid dispensing mechanism is shownin FIG. 1, wherein through a speed reducer 12, the power of a motor 11drives a rotating plate 13 which is axially connected to a connectingbar 14 and a piston 15, thereby the piston 15 can repeat an up-and-downmovement in a cylinder 16, and the liquid stored in the storage tank(not shown) can be sucked into a inlet 18 on the cylinder 16 wall andsubsequently be pushed out of another outlet 19 to the user's hand.

The speed reducer 12 is provided on a side thereof a maximum switch 20.On an end of the maximum switch 20 is provided a spring 21 which canactivate or shut down the operation of the motor 11 by the contact ofthe left and right extruding points 22 on the surrounding of therotating plate 13 during the operation of the rotating plate 13, therebythe piston 15 pushes the liquid soap out, and sucks and stores an amountof liquid soap for the next dispense.

Although an automatic soap dispenser can avoid the users from thetrouble of manually or overly push the button, there still exist somedisadvantages in the use thereof, e.g.:

1. As the automatic soap dispenser is driven by a motor, a speedreducer, a connecting rod and a piston, the breakdown rate of the entiremechanism is relatively high in view of the numerous transmitting units.

2. By way of the push by the piston, each piston stroke can only providea limited amount of liquid soap. As the amount of the soap dispensedcannot be increased in the form of consequent dispenses, there isdifficulty in overcoming the various users' needs for different amountof liquid soap.

3. The piston type soap dispense may render the actions of sucking andpushing the liquid soap by the up-and-down piston stroke. However, asthe liquid soap is sucked by way of siphon, the form of the liquid soapis preferably limited to well floating liquids, rather than those in theform of toothpaste or those containing scrubbing particles, which wouldbe stocked in the inlet.

Means of Solving

To improve the disadvantages of the traditional automatic soapdispensers, the invention provides a soap dispensing mechanism which isdifferent from piston type soap dispenser. The invention primarilyprovides a planet device which is a plate provided with a number ofaxles on the surface thereof. Each axle is axially connected to aroller. The planet device is mounted in a housing. A hose in the form anarc is provided in-between the inner rim of the housing and the outersurface of the rollers of the planet device. The above mechanisms aredriven by a motor. The axis of the motor passes through the platesurface and a side of the housing, whereas the surrounding of the motorcontacts with the outer surface of each roller, thereby transmitting therotating power of the motor to each roller, and activating every rollerto rotate and sequentially rotate the whole plate. The rotation of therollers driven by the rotating plate generates a circular pushing powerto the hose surface, and the liquid soap carried in the hose is pushedout sequentially, thereby the liquid soap is socked into another inlet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a sequentiallyrotating liquid dispensing mechanism, the operation of which can befreely determined to timely adjust the amount of the liquid dispensed,thereby satisfying various needs for liquid amount in differentenvironments.

The secondary object of the invention is to provide a hose which cansupply a greater space and section for the liquid float such thatsubstances as toothpaste, or liquid containing scrubbing particles,tomato juice, soybean sauce, juice, coffee and mineral water can beadapted in the invention as well.

A further object of the invention is to provide a motor powder which candirectly drive the rollers of the planet device to rotate, and therollers can directly press the hose to operate the soap dispense. As themechanisms involved in the invention are simple, the power needed andthe costs for designing the integral mechanism can be decreased, and themaintenance of the mechanism is rather convenient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 2 a and 3, the preferred embodiment of the inventionincludes a planet device 3, a hose 4 and a housing 5, wherein the planetdevice 3 is placed in the bottom of the housing 5 and provided with arotating plate 31. A number of axles 32 extrude from the plate surface,each of the axles 32 is sheathed by a roller 33, and the outer surfaceof the rollers 33 is distanced from each other. The hose 4 is in theform of an arc provided in-between the inner rim of the housing 5 andthe outer surface of each roller 33 of the planet device 3. Two oppositeextrusions 40 are provided on the hose and engaged in the grooves 50 inthe left and right ends of the housing 5, thereby avoiding the hose 4from sliding axially.

Now refer to FIGS. 2 b and 3 for the operation of the invention. Themotor 6 is positioned in an outer side of the housing 5, and the axis 60of the motor passes through the center of the rotating plate 31 of theplanet device 3, and then is positioned among the rollers 33 such thatthe axis 60 is in contact with the outer surface of each roller 33. Asthe axis 60 of the motor rotates clockwise, the rollers 33 directlycontacted thereby are activated to rotate counterclockwise and touch thesurface of the hose 4. Since the hose 4 is fixed in the housing, throughthe axles 32, the rotating plate 31 which bears the rollers 33 rotatesclockwise to activate the rollers borne by the axles 32 to rotatetogether. Meanwhile, the surface of the hose 4 is pushed by the force ofits self-rotation and the rotation of the rollers 33 driven by therotating plate 31, a sequential pushing force generates along thedirection of the hose axis, thereby air is pushed and transmitted froman inlet end 41 to an outlet end 42. Likewise, when the inlet end 41 isinserted into a liquid soap storage tank (or tomato juice, soybeansauce, juice, coffee or mineral water storage tank ) (not shown), theliquid soap 7 will be sequentially socked from the storage tank andtransmitted to the outlet end 42 for users' dispense. The abovestructure may provide a desired amount of liquid by simply adding acontrol circuit to control the operating time of the motor 6.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional automatic soap dispensingmechanism.

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are perspective front views of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of the invention.

DESIGNATES NUMBERS OF THE ELEMENTS

-   11 . . . motor-   12 . . . speed reducer-   13 . . . rotating plate-   14 . . . connecting rod-   15 . . . piston-   16 . . . cylinders-   18 . . . inlets-   19 . . . outlet-   20 . . . maximum switch-   21 . . . spring-   22 . . . extruding point-   3 . . . planet device-   4 . . . hose-   40 . . . extrusion-   41 . . . inlet end-   42 . . . outlet end-   5 . . . housing-   50 . . . groove-   6 . . . motor-   60 . . . axis of motor-   7 . . . liquid soap

1. A liquid dispensing mechanism is directly driven by a motor andincludes a planet device, a hose and a housing, wherein: the planetdevice provided on a bottom of the housing includes a rotating plate,from the surface of which a number of axles are extruded, and each axleis sheathed by a roller; the hose, being a transmitting carrier, is inthe form of an arc provided in-between the inner rim of the housing andthe outer surface of the rollers; extrusions are provided on the hoseand engaged in the opposite grooves of the housing; and the outersurface of each roller contacted with the axis of the motor is driven torotate by the motor; the plate of the planet device pushes the hosecircularly, thereby transmitting the liquid.
 2. A liquid dispensingmechanism according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the motor passesthrough the plate center of the planet device.
 3. A liquid dispensingmechanism according to claim 1, wherein the rollers of the planet devicedo not contact with each other, but contact with the axis of the motor.